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Wienerschnitzel with Potato Salad

Wienerschnitzel, a classic Austrian dish, is all about thin veal cutlets fried until perfectly golden with that signature light, bubbly crust. After obsessing over them when I traveled to Vienna, I had to learn how to make them at home. It’s served with a warm, tangy potato salad that balances the richness, plus fresh lemon and lingonberry jam to bring everything together.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Yields4 servings
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings4 servings

Ingredients

POTATO SALAD

  • 1 pound gold potatoes, boiled with skin on
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon yellow or Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup boiling water + 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
  • 2 teaspoons white sugar
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste

VEAL CUTLETS

  • 1 pound veal cutlets, about 4 thin pieces, or use veal top round or leg and slice/pound thin yourself

BREADING STATION

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • 2 cups fine breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

FOR FRYING

  • Neutral oil, enough for the cutlets to float
  • Clarified butter

TO SERVE

  • Lemon wedges
  • Lingonberry jam

Instructions 

MAKE THE POTATO SALAD

  1. Boil the potatoes whole with the skin on in salted water for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until fork tender in the center. The bigger your potatoes, the longer they will take.
  2. While the potatoes boil, dissolve the chicken bouillon cube in the boiling water in a small bowl. Then whisk in the rice vinegar, mustard, neutral oil, sugar, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
  3. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them. Slice into 4 wedges, then cut each wedge into slices about 1/4-inch thick.
  4. Add the warm potatoes, sliced red onion, and chives to the dressing. Toss it all together and let it sit so the potatoes absorb all the flavor.

PREPARE THE CUTLETS

  1. If using a whole cut like veal top round or leg, slice it into pieces about 1/4-inch thick.
  2. Place between parchment or plastic wrap and pound until very thin, about 1/8-inch thick. The cutlet should be wide and even. If you prefer it a bit thicker, you can leave it at 1/4-inch thick.
  3. Lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.

SET UP THE BREADING STATION

  1. In one bowl, mix flour with salt and pepper.
  2. In a second bowl, whisk eggs with milk, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
  3. In a third bowl, combine breadcrumbs with salt and pepper.

BREAD THE SCHNITZEL

  1. Begin by heating enough neutral oil with clarified butter so the cutlets can float in the pan over medium heat.
  2. While the oil heats, dredge each cutlet in the flour, shaking off excess. Do not press it in. Make sure to use one hand for the dry and the other for the wet.
  3. Dip into the egg, letting the excess drip off.
  4. Coat in breadcrumbs, gently tossing to coat. Do not press the breadcrumbs in.

FRY THE SCHNITZEL

  1. Once the oil is hot enough, add 1 or 2 cutlets at a time depending on the size of your pan and the cutlets. Do not overcrowd and fry in batches as needed.
  2. Gently shake the pan back and forth as it cooks so the hot fat moves over the top of the cutlet.
  3. Fry until golden and crispy, about 2 minutes per side.
  4. Transfer to a wire rack baking sheet to drain any excess oil and to keep it crispy while the rest are fried.

ASSEMBLE

  1. Plate the schnitzel with a side of potato salad, lingonberry jam and a fresh lemon wedge to enjoy!

Notes

Q: Can I use chicken instead of veal?
A: Yes, chicken breast works great. Just slice it thin or pound it out so it cooks quickly and evenly.
Q: Why fry in oil and clarified butter together?
A: The oil prevents burning while the clarified butter adds that classic rich schnitzel flavor.
Q: Why do you shake the pan while frying?
A: Gently shaking helps the hot fat move over the top of the schnitzel, creating that signature light, bubbly, airy crust instead of a flat, dense coating.
Q: Why shouldn’t I press the flour or breadcrumbs in?
A: Pressing compacts the coating, which makes it dense and flat instead of light and airy. Letting the coating stay loose helps it puff up and separate slightly as it fries, giving you that classic bubbly schnitzel crust.
Q: How do I know the schnitzel is done?
A: It should be golden, crispy, and slightly puffed with an airy crust.
Q: Can I make the potato salad ahead of time?
A: Yes, it gets even better as it sits since the potatoes soak up the dressing.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out. I love hearing from you!